Vertical farming infrastructure proposed in Detroit to support local food system

[Airforceguy]

Seems like an interesting proposal. Hope it succeeds.

The 60,000 square foot structure would stand 74 feet tall in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction neighborhood. The 205,000 square-foot growing canopy would produce around 2.2 million pounds of fresh vegetables year-round, including lettuces, petite greens, microgreens and herbs.The vertical design would create 100 acres worth of output on half-an-acre of land. Vertical Harvest would also distribute over 70% of the food grown at the location within 100 miles of Detroit.

“In Detroit, a significant portion of the population does not have easy access to fresh produce,” said Bedrock CEO Kofi Bonner. Most importantly, Vertical Harvest products will be made accessible to civic institutions for quick and efficient delivery to our neighborhoods.” The farm would launch in 2025, and create 50 local jobs with 40% being reserved for people with disabilities and those focused on career-growth opportunities. It would also be expected to use 95% less water than traditional farms, and run on clean energy.

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...l-food-system/

[canuck]

This works, there are 4 massive rooftop farms in Montreal built by a company called Lufa Farms. In their case, they built on top of industrial buildings as a space saving solution for farming in the city.

They claim to have built the First rooftop farm in the world in 2011:

https://montreal.lufa.com/en/fermes

[Danny]

Great ideal. Detroit can use more vertical farming in areas that are food deserts.

[Richard]

Great ideal. Detroit can use more vertical farming in areas that are food deserts.

They just approved meat for sale to the public that’s grown in a lab.

Next will be the Ronco 7000 portable meat growing household appliances where you will no longer have to go to a supermarket.

Accented by a free government supply of Solent green,in the future there will not really be any food shortages.

I wonder if there is a farmer sitting somewhere thinking- gee why did I not think of that instead of spending 60 hours a week growing crops on 100s of acres in order to feed the population,while spending on the average 1 million per year to do it.

Cudda just got me an old empty building and thrown a grow operation in there,there is probably a good reason they did not go that route.

They said - A significant portion of Detroit does not have easy excess to fresh produce.

I live in the hood there are at least 16 dollar general and family dollar stores within a 1 mile radius,they sell produce,out of a little stand,they do not stock a lot of it because people do not buy it,I think the question is more of ,what portion of Detroit wants easy excess to fresh produce ?

My experience is the people that live in the area’s that are food deserts,access to fresh vegetables is not on the top of their shopping wish list.

Would it not be easier to just put a couple of supermarkets in?

You cannot really call something grown with chemicals “fresh” can you?

Even though as a rule farmers also enhance the soil with chemicals in order to maximize production.